This I Believe

I believe in the way that the leaves turn from green, to gold, to red, to brown and the way that winter turns to spring; the frost melting away and the sprouting greens; the way that wet pavement smells. Spring turns to summer and I can feel the sand between my toes and the sunshine warming my face; I believe in the way that sunny days slowly fade into warm, breezy nights and the shocking appearance of lightning in December.

I believe in change. The kind of change that sneaks up on you suddenly when you least expect it, throwing you completely off balance like the death of a friend or the eviction notice on your door. Then there’s the kind of change that you chose, this is the kind that completely liberates you when you take that huge step like moving away from home or taking a new job. I believe in the power that change has to, well, change you; the way that it teaches you things you didn’t know you didn’t know.

Life is a series of changes. As people we are constantly changing; physically, emotionally, intellectually and so on. I believe in my right to change; from the style of my hair to the clothes that I wear to the way in which I view the world. I am not the same person I was in high school and ten years down the road I will not be the same person that I am today, I may not even be the same person tomorrow. I no longer believe that I will marry a backstreet boy (nor do I want to), I no longer think that my parents are stupid and I know that a break-up will not kill me but it is these beliefs that I had when I was younger that allowed me to find the beliefs I have today. It is this process of change, these chapters in our lives that teach us everything we know about life; change is the ultimate teacher. It is important to remember that nothing is guaranteed; when your down-and-out keep your head up you will soon be on top again; when everything is going your way don’t get too high on your pedestal because that too, along with the weather, the seasons and the brand of jeans you just have to have will inevitably change. It is the only thing you can always count on because change is the only constant in this world. This I believe.

Shop on Amazon and support This I Believe

We receive up to 10% of every purchase you make on Amazon through this link. So do all your holiday shopping here and help support This I Believe!

Top 100 Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

This week’s essay

Growing up in the former Yugoslavia, lawyer Djenita Pasic enjoyed the peace of her religiously diverse country. But after the fall of communism and the outbreak of the Bosnian War, Pasic was forced to reevaluate her ideas about religion and tolerance. Click here to read her essay.